So, assuming he was in fact told to stop, then we have a harassment issue at most.

Manassas City police released this statement shortly after 6 p.m. Wednesday night:FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:Juvenile Sexting CaseOn January 23, 2014 Manassas City Police was contacted by a parent of a 15 YOA female juvenile who was sent pornographic videos by a 17 YOA male suspect after repeatedly being told to stop. Upon further investigating the incident charges of manufacturing and distributing child pornography were brought against the 17 YOA male suspect on January 28, 2014 after consultation with the Commonwealth Attorney's Office. The matter was set for trial on June 4th 2014 where charges were nolle prosqui by a Prince William County Assistant Commonwealth Attorney.The circumstances on the decision to dismiss charges and bring forward new charges cannot be released at this time due to this incident being an active investigation and involving juveniles. New charges of manufacturing and distributing child pornography have been brought forward and a court date is pending.It is not the policy of the Manassas City Police or the Commonwealth Attorney's Office to authorize invasive search procedures of suspects in cases of this nature and no such procedures have been conducted in this case. Beyond that, neither the Police Department nor the Commonwealth's Attorney's Office discusses evidentiary matters prior to court hearings.###Adrienne E. HelmsCrime Prevention Specialist &Public Information OfficerManassas City Police Department9518 Fairview AveManassas, VA 20110

There's an update on the article with the police having released a statement, view it here.

On first blush, if they're having to release a statement defending their actions, that likely means they're getting a lot of backlash over this, so that's good.

They do mention that the girl asked him to stop sending her dick pics, which, if true, and he kept doing it, does make him sort of a jerk, but it's certainly not worth felony charges. If that was the actual situation the correct course of action would have been to have her parents tell his parents, and have them ground him and take away his phone. This entire situation does not warrant police involvement.

Foster said the case began when the teen's 15-year-old girlfriend sent photos of herself to the 17-year-old, who in turn sent her the video in question. The girl has not been charged, and her mother filed a complaint about the boy's video, Foster said.

The boy should file a complaint against the girl.

Courts here ruled that asymmetric prosecution in prostitution cases is unconstitutional. The prostitute can have her charges dropped if police don't charge johns equally. That was based on state law.

On the other hand, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld a California law setting different ages of consent for boys and girls. Under federal constitutional law it's OK to selectively prosecute boys in sex cases.

But in this case the 15 year old committed a worse crime (assuming those were naked pictures). 15 is farther under the age of consent for porn than 17 is.

If he is sending unsolicited dick pics to anyone, no matter the age of the person he sends them to, he certainly should be in trouble. He shouldn't be made erect and photographed but there should be other ways of proving whether or not he sent them...

PhiloeBedoe:If he is sending unsolicited dick pics to anyone, no matter the age of the person he sends them to, he certainly should be in trouble. He shouldn't be made erect and photographed but there should be other ways of proving whether or not he sent them...

They've already seized the kids' electronic devices. They are really trying to prove it is HIS penis, not just A penis.

kronicfeld:PhiloeBedoe: If he is sending unsolicited dick pics to anyone, no matter the age of the person he sends them to, he certainly should be in trouble. He shouldn't be made erect and photographed but there should be other ways of proving whether or not he sent them...

They've already seized the kids' electronic devices. They are really trying to prove it is HIS penis, not just A penis.

I don't agree with the whole child pornography angle I just think sending pictures of dicks, any dicks, to people who've told you to stop is harassment and legal action is justified...

PhiloeBedoe:If he is sending unsolicited dick pics to anyone, no matter the age of the person he sends them to, he certainly should be in trouble. He shouldn't be made erect and photographed but there should be other ways of proving whether or not he sent them...

If I'm in the 17-year old's shoes, does some Manassas City cop really want to be murdered while attempting to force a minor to have an erection and manufacture child pornography? And does the prosecutor who pushed for it and the judge who signed the warrant really want to facilitate all that?

What I find even more troubling here is that teen girl first sexts teen boyfriend, and no charges for her. But when teen boyfriend sexts back, prosecution as an 'adult' for creating 'child porn' by taking a pic of his own dick, with prison terms and life as a sexual predator for 'exploiting' his 'child' self by his 'adult' self.

PhiloeBedoe:kronicfeld: PhiloeBedoe: If he is sending unsolicited dick pics to anyone, no matter the age of the person he sends them to, he certainly should be in trouble. He shouldn't be made erect and photographed but there should be other ways of proving whether or not he sent them...

They've already seized the kids' electronic devices. They are really trying to prove it is HIS penis, not just A penis.

I don't agree with the whole child pornography angle I just think sending pictures of dicks, any dicks, to people who've told you to stop is harassment and legal action is justified...

*Possibly* a mild slap on the wrist. Jail time, let alone prison time, is absolutely unwarranted.

Even sending a Photoshop-merge of a lotus blossom and a thigh is more traumatic than sending a picture of a dick. The "victim" just looks at it, shrugs, and hits delete.

The most amusing solution to the problem would be to treat camera-possessing-devices like tobacco products and deny them to those under 18. Seems like it'd solve a lot of problems all at once and it'd be a fairly nifty troll at the same time.

I am SO glad people and prosecutors were not so sex-panicked in the 80s... I and everyone I knew back then would be ex-cons for exhibiting our normal teenage behavior. I had a 15-year-old girlfriend when I was 17. Age of consent is 16 here... So as far as anyone is concerned, we never did anything remotely intimate. Nope. Nothing at all.

When I was 15 I was dating a 19-year-old. She'd have been in jail and on the sex offenders list if our teen years had been like they are now. Her parents knew we were together and they didn't mind. MY parents knew we were together and they didn't mind.

Hell, the aforementioned 15-year-old's parents invited me on a trip to a ski resort and let me sleep in the same room as their daughters. They simply didn't freak out about teenage relationships like people do today.

Granted, I never sent unsolicited dick Polaroids to anyone when I was a teen... But still, people need to chill out. Teenagers have sex. It's what they DO. It's what we are all wired to be like when our hormones are going crazy.

These laws exist to protect adolescents and children from ADULT predators and exploitation. We really need to rewrite our laws to simply exclude teenagers from statutory rape and CP charges involving their girlfriends/boyfriends, except in extreme circumstances.

Here's what I'd do if I were this boy: Find a way to alter the appearance of my penis. Maybe add some spots, or find a way to change the color, or something. That way, when they compare photo to reality, they'll have to say "If the dick in the pic doesn't click, you must acquit." (I know "acquit" doesn't rhyme with "dick". Shut up.)

Ivan the Tolerable:What I find even more troubling here is that teen girl first sexts teen boyfriend, and no charges for her. But when teen boyfriend sexts back, prosecution as an 'adult' for creating 'child porn' by taking a pic of his own dick, with prison terms and life as a sexual predator for 'exploiting' his 'child' self by his 'adult' self.

/so why isn't the girl in prison too?

I don't think that is the case.The case was dismissed, but police immediately obtained new charges and also a search warrant for his home. Police also arrested the teen and took him to juvenile jail, where Foster said they took photos of the teen's genitals against his will.

I don't know what the new charges are.

I'd like to know why the police so hell bent on ruining this kids life.

nyseattitude:Ivan the Tolerable: What I find even more troubling here is that teen girl first sexts teen boyfriend, and no charges for her. But when teen boyfriend sexts back, prosecution as an 'adult' for creating 'child porn' by taking a pic of his own dick, with prison terms and life as a sexual predator for 'exploiting' his 'child' self by his 'adult' self.

/so why isn't the girl in prison too?

I don't think that is the case.The case was dismissed, but police immediately obtained new charges and also a search warrant for his home. Police also arrested the teen and took him to juvenile jail, where Foster said they took photos of the teen's genitals against his will.

I don't know what the new charges are.

I'd like to know why the police so hell bent on ruining this kids life.

Prosecutor probably said go arrest him we are charging him with x instead, and they did what they were told.

Wasn't there a time when a prosecutor could write a possible defendant a letter that basically said, "knock that shiat off now and permanently, or we will ruin your life" and it was off the books, no harm done to anyone if the defendant complied, and everyone went on with there life? I know some states can still do it.

Mr. Ekshun:The most amusing solution to the problem would be to treat camera-possessing-devices like tobacco products and deny them to those under 18. Seems like it'd solve a lot of problems all at once and it'd be a fairly nifty troll at the same time.

There you go! All we need to do is make cameras into a controlled substance! If you're under 18 and using a camera, you go to jail!

ZAZ:Foster said the case began when the teen's 15-year-old girlfriend sent photos of herself to the 17-year-old, who in turn sent her the video in question. The girl has not been charged, and her mother filed a complaint about the boy's video, Foster said.

The boy should file a complaint against the girl.

Courts here ruled that asymmetric prosecution in prostitution cases is unconstitutional. The prostitute can have her charges dropped if police don't charge johns equally. That was based on state law.

On the other hand, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld a California law setting different ages of consent for boys and girls. Under federal constitutional law it's OK to selectively prosecute boys in sex cases.

But in this case the 15 year old committed a worse crime (assuming those were naked pictures). 15 is farther under the age of consent for porn than 17 is.